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Meskwaki tribe rejects proposal to sell alcohol at casino
 Message was posted: 10:42 Apr 16th, 2007     
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Casino news source: Des Moines Register - http://desmoinesregister.com


Meskwaki tribe rejects proposal to sell alcohol at casino
By DAN PILLER

April 14, 2007

Officials of the casino at the Meskwaki Indian settlement near Tama reacted calmly Friday to the news of the defeat - by a margin of 23 votes - to a proposal to allow liquor to be sold on the settlement.

Tribe members voted 166 to 143 Thursday against a proposal that would allow alcohol sales for the first time in the settlement's history. Advocates said alcohol was needed to keep the Meskwaki casino competitive with other Iowa casinos. The Meskwaki casino is alone among Iowa's casinos in not selling liquor.

"There was a lot of emphasis in the media that liquor was the only issue when in fact the casino has many things to work with," said casino manager Dan Stromer.

He noted that the alcohol-free casino is finishing an expansion of its hotel, will open a new steakhouse soon and hosted singer Charley Pride on Friday evening as its entertainment.

"You have to give the tribe a certain amount of credit for sticking to their principles," said Stromer. "I applaud them."

Opponents noted the long battle Native Americans have fought against alcohol problems in their culture.

"I'm ecstatic that we prevailed," said Ray Young Bear, one of an ad hoc group of older tribe members who campaigned against liquor sales in the referendum.

Young Bear said "we've gotten along 150 years without liquor on the reservation, and we don't need it now just because of the casino," he said.

Younger tribal members had argued that liquor would be needed to compete with a new casino that opens later this year in Waterloo.

Stromer said the Meskwaki casino is "very profitable" and has built up a steady clientele of customers.

"We're a total entertainment complex," he said. "We want to be a destination, and we'll be one with liquor or without."





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